PokerStars' social product gets full launch
Isle of Man-based operator's F2P PokerStars Play app emerges from beta on Facebook after first debuting last year
PokerStars’ free-to-play social product PokerStars Play has been given a full launch on Facebook after being in beta for 18 months, eGaming Review has learned.
The Isle of Man-based firm first launched its social casino app on Facebook last February and currently has nearly 111,000 monthly active users (MAU) according to app analytics company metricsmonk.
PokerStars parent company the Rational Group was recently acquired by Amaya Gaming Group for $4.9bn and following the acquisition Amaya Gaming CEO David Baazov highlighted social gaming as one of four target growth initiatives.
“While this social poker offering is not real money gaming, Rational has begun to modify this offering through the sale of chips to players with important upgrades,” Baazov said at the time of the acquisition.
“We anticipate social gaming will be an important growth opportunity for the company,” he added.
A spokesperson for PokerStars confirmed that the product’s beta tag was removed last week and said the company would “continue to iterate, refine and add features” to the app in the future.
PokerStars will allow players to progress in the game via various European poker tours and the app also includes a number of social features such as leaderboards, achievements and player following.
The launch of PokerStars Play follows the recent departure of the company’s director of social gaming Mark Buser who left the poker brand to return to the United States after one year in the role.
Buser joined the firm in April 2013 from Fresh Deck Poker publisher Idle Games and eGR understands the Rational Group has yet to find a replacement.